Between vegetarianism, veganism and plant-based diets, there lies flexitarianism. With all the eating practices that exist today, it can be easy to get lost. That’s why we’re helping you unravel the flexitarian diet, the latest eating trend that is earning traction with more and more followers all over the world.
What is flexitarianism?
As the name suggests, flexitarians are flexible in their diet. They try to reduce and limit their consumption of meat and fish. Unlike vegans or vegetarians who stop eating meat altogether and eliminate many foods from their daily lives, flexitarianism does not prohibit anything. However, in this type of diet, eating lots of fruits and vegetables is encouraged and of course, processed products are eliminated.
What are the benefits of being flexitarian?
Some people are not necessarily ready to go vegetarian, vegan or engage in a completely plant-based diet because it may seem very strict. But, they still want to do small things that are meaningful for the environment, animals, and their own health.
Flexitarianism focuses more on quality food. When meat is consumed, it is bought from the local butcher and it comes from healthy or organic breeding. Flexitarians are conscientious. They know that in addition to ethical issues, large cattle ranches cause environmental problems such as greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and the excessive use of water.
Becoming flexitarian
The information we’ve shared is very useful, but if you really want to get into flexitarianism, what do you do?
Reduce your consumption of meat and fish (ideally once or twice a week)
Buy products with as little packaging as possible
Focus on quality products (organic, minimally processed, etc.)
Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, and grains
Consume local products
You can start your transition slowly and adjust your consumption over the coming weeks. The changes to your diet will occur gradually. Remember that balance is the magic word when it comes to flexitarianism.
3 flexitarian myths that need to be debunked
Being flexitarian is expensive
It’s the opposite! In some cases, as a flexitarian, you will considerably reduce your grocery bill. Buying organic products and healthy farmed meat is not that much more expensive. In addition, since you won’t be buying meat for all your weekly meals, part of this savings can now be used to buy your local products from small merchants. Of course, you still have to plan your budget, just like you would with any type of diet.
Being flexitarian is just a way to avoid being vegan
Being vegan is a whole way of life that you can ease into gradually. There are steps to follow and flexitarianism fits perfectly into the transition. For some people, this is a step along the way towards veganism or vegetarianism.
For others, there is no question of putting meat consumption aside completely! However, these people want to do their part for the environment, animals, and their own health. This shift is one focused on making small, simple gestures that will have a big impact on our planet in the long term.
Being a flexitarian does not provide enough nutrients for the body
What a myth! In fact, in recent years, many top athletes have proven otherwise. Many of them are now turning to flexitarianism in order to eat a balanced diet and consume products that are healthy for their body and aid in achieving peak performance. This is because the nutrients found in meat can also be found in other foods. The key is to eat a variety of foods, try new recipes, and discover delicious new ingredients.
Flexitarianism is a fairly accessible diet and the perfect choice for all those who do not want to make drastic changes, but who still want to do their part for the environment, for the animals, and for their own health.
4 ways to reduce your meat consumption without feeling frustrated
New year means new resolutions! And if you are considering making some changes to what you eat, putting some thought into your habits will help you stick to them long term. Whether you’re doing it for your health, ecological reasons or ethical ones, it is important to have a balanced diet and enjoy the dishes you are preparing.
Here are our four tips for reducing your consumption of animal products:
1-Choose one day per week for vegetarian meals
No need to fill your fridge with tofu and tempeh, especially if you don’t like these products or have never tried them. Rather than creating frustration through drastic changes it’s better to make gradual changes to your diet. Why not start by eating vegetarian meals once a week? The Meatless Monday movement has been very successful around the world and has helped many people gradually transition to a vegetarian diet.
2-Choose vegetable protein
Some people think that animal protein should be offset with powdered plant protein (which is usually expensive). And yet, plant proteins are much more accessible than you think. They are found in legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and textured vegetable protein (TVP). Understanding the meaning of these ingredients can be tricky at first – we’ve all been there! To familiarize yourself with the lingo of vegan eating, we invite you to read our article on plant-based protein sources.
3-Try substitute products
Fauxmage, vegan sausages, vegetable meatballs or veggie ground—you can recreate all your favourite recipes, veggie style! Enjoy textured TVP lasagna, four fauxmages pizza, hot dogs featuring wheat sausages, shepherd’s pie with veggie ground, and so much more!
An added bonus: these substitutes are generally easy to prepare, are well-seasoned and taste delicious. You can save time on busy days while still enjoying preparing your food. Want to shop for products that will make you fall in love with plant-based cooking? Take a peek at our products!
4-Try new recipes
Break out of your routine rut with some new recipes. Your loved ones and your taste buds will be pleasantly surprised by the changes you are bringing to the table!
To find plenty of inspiration (without taking too many risks) you can learn about new textures and flavour combinations by picking up cookbooks or simply subscribing to vegan foodie blogs and YouTube channels.
We hope these tips will motivate you to take the plunge and make small changes to what you’re putting on your plate. In the meantime, we recommend that you check out our Gustarium section where you will find a wealth of advice that will help you successfully transition toward eating less meat. Don’t forget that you can also simply add a few of our GUSTA products to your grocery cart and try a few of our delicious recipes. It’s as easy as that!
4 tips for an eco-friendly Christmas
Only a few weeks before Christmas and at GUSTA we’re already wearing our ugly Christmas sweaters to get us in the mood. This period is the ideal opportunity to reunite with family and express our attachment to our loved ones. But, the fact remains that this holiday also celebrates overconsumption and food waste, if it’s not properly planned out. Fortunately, there are always easy and economical solutions to make your Christmas eco-friendly and ethical.
Here are 4 ways to enjoy an eco-friendly Christmas :
1. Opt for vintage gifts
Vintage is the new fashion, much to the delight of our planet and our wallets. A host of online thrift stores and stores specifically designed to sell retro items are available.
Although some collectibles can be expensive, these places are THE perfect destination for finding special pieces with a symbolic meaning. Take your loved ones back to a favourite time with a vintage gift!
Here are a few addresses that will bring some joy:
MONTRÉAL
Esprit Vintage: 1380 Rue du Pont, Marieville, QC J3M 1G2, Canada
Kitschy Koo: 1465 rue Bélanger Montréal
Kitsch à l’os ou pas : 3439 rue Hochelaga Montréal
Chosen : 1599 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6K 1T9, Canada
96 Tears Vintage: 1267 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6H 1N7, Canada
The Handwork Department: 1884 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C 1J4, Canada
VANCOUVER
F as in Frank Vintage Clothing: 2425 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5T 3E1, Canada
Woo Vintage Clothing: 4393 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3R1, Canada
Community Thrift & Vintage FROCK SHOPPE: 311 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2J4, Canada
2.Choosing your Christmas tree
There are several ways to reduce your ecological footprint while still enjoying a decorative Christmas tree!
First of all, don’t even think about purchasing an artificial tree! While they might be reusable, they are a source of pollution thanks to being made from plastic. Ellipsos carried out a study on the life cycle of natural fir, comparing it to an artificial fir. Big surprise—an artificial Christmas tree emits approximately 8.1 kg of CO2 for its production and for its transport, while a natural tree emits only 3.1 kg of CO2. The natural option produces less than half of the pollutants than the artificial option! In addition, for the artificial tree to be considered carbon neutral it would have to be used for 20 years. And we know that after three years, the trees usually end up in the trash either through wear and tear, or simply because it’s time for a change!
For an environmentally friendly tree, you can opt for a local, organic purchase. To avoid throwing it away, replant it in your garden after the holidays or pot your tree and make it part of your décor so you can enjoy it all year long!
If none of its options are appealing, why not rent a tree? This option, which saves money and is ecological, makes it possible to limit the wastage of trees.
As for you creative types, why not make your own tree using recycled objects, books, garlands or newspapers? This is a great family activity to entertain children and include them in holiday preparations.
3. To wrap or not to wrap?
Gift wrapping often ends up in the trash, so why do we even bother? What really matters is what’s on the inside, right?
If you want to create an Instagrammable Christmas moment, you can always opt for eco-friendly packaging – wrap your gift in fabric, it’s a major trend this year! In addition to being reusable your gifts are going to look incredibly chic!
Here’s a video that will inspire you next time you’re wrapping gifts:
Do you love cooking for your guests over the holiday period? There is no doubt, the meal is the best part of Christmas—the whole family is gathered together to share traditional and authentic dishes. And why not introduce them to some of your vegan recipes?
Gift yourself with The Buddhist Chef :Vegan Comfort Cooking. This cookbook is filled with recipes that your guest will adore; family classics that now have a vegan flair!
You can also always opt for our vegan alternatives that will make your holiday prep even easier: serve a platter of fauxmages for an aperitif, veggie sausages as a starter, or vegan pâté on your toast in the morning.
We hope these tips will help you start your resolutions long before January. Beginning at Christmas, you can start applying your new eco-friendly habits to ensure a better future for the planet, one small gesture at a time.
7 apple and pumpkin recipes to try this fall
Fall, what a great time for picking apples and pumpkins! What we also particularly love are the baking days that follow. Every year, it’s always the same: we’ve picked too many of these fruits and we don’t know what to do with them! But after sampling these delicious plant-based recipes, you might decide that you need even more apples and pumpkins in your kitchen!
Discover which one of these seven plant-based recipes will become your new favourite.
Vegan apple crumble
It might not be very original, but it’s an absolute favorite. Who doesn’t love a delicious apple crumble when you’ve come back from the orchards? This melt in your mouth recipe is probably one of the easiest to make, and it will bring back some of your sweetest childhood memories.
This is a delicious alternative for your toast or muffins in the morning. Sweet and slightly misleading (this recipe doesn’t even contain butter!), try it out and see if you’ve found a new favourite!
This cake is beyond delicious! Its soft texture and just-sweet-enough flavour are what we love most of all. Make this recipe with your favourite people on a rainy Sunday afternoon this fall.
What tastes more like fall than pumpkin and spices? These delicious chocolate pumpkin cookies are not only comforting, they’re also good for you. Low in fat and made with natural ingredients, they make a really great snack.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons of lukewarm water
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (you can also make it yourself)
You certainly can’t spotlight apple and pumpkin recipes without incorporating delicious, homemade donuts! For a quick, well-made dessert that requires very few ingredients, this one will be your new best friend.
The famous apple pie, a post-picking classic! In this recipe, a smaller version is proposed: mini tarts to avoid waste (and to possibly avoid eating the whole pie in one day!). In addition to being very cute, these little 4-inch-wide wonders are absolutely delectable.
Ingredients
250g of pie crust
½ cup unsweetened applesauce (you can also make it yourself)
The ultimate snack for young and old alike! Comfort is found in the variety of spices these pumpkin squares contain. They are wonderfully tender and absolutely delicious; we could eat them morning, noon and night. The challenge is trying to make these squares last more than a day!
The ingredients
60 ml of plant-based milk
60 ml of maple syrup
80 ml of melted vegetable butter
1 cup of pumpkin puree (homemade or market)
2 tablespoons of flax seeds mixed with 4 tablespoons of water
3 anti-waste tips for saving the planet without breaking the bank
There are so many gestures we can make to save the planet. Reducing food waste is one of them! According to a new report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) released this year, 931 million tonnes of food available to consumers was wasted in 2019 all over the world. According to the report, households are the biggest source of food waste. They alone represent 61% of the losses!
Let’s stay optimistic …
The good news is that the majority of Canadians are motivated to act and want to change their eating habits for more responsible consumption. According to a survey conducted by Love Food, Hate Waste Canada in 2020 of 1,200 Canadians, 94% say they are ready to reduce food waste in their homes. But how do you save those bananas that have been lying around on the counter for days or those vegetables that are almost overly ripe?
3 strategies for more conscious consumption
1- Plan your meals
Are you the type of person who does their groceries on the fly? If so, making your grocery list based on the missing ingredients in your fridge and pantry to limit unnecessary purchases is a good start to reducing waste. And if you want to become an organizational whiz you can also plan the meals for the week ahead. All you need to do is select the week’s recipes before you go shopping. This step will not only allow you to limit food waste, but also save money.
2- The fridge, your most trusted allie
Storing your food requires a cool space! When it comes to fruits, vegetables, leftovers, and dairy products, it is important to put each ingredient in the right compartment in order to optimize conservation and prevent it from ending up in the trash.
As the Love Food, Hate Waste Canada illustration shows, saving your food in the fridge is quite an art!
You can even put pre-cooked meals in the freezer to take them out on your busier days.
3- Try new recipes
Limiting food waste isn’t just about meal planning. You can also have fun trying out new recipes with overripe fruits and vegetables. Banana bread, carrot cakes or even zucchini bread, there are lots of creative and delicious recipes that will allow you to enjoy your surplus of fruits and vegetables.
So? Is zero waste feeling complicated? As you can see, it’s all about organization and creativity!
And besides, if our Gusta sausages end up in your fridge, you won’t have to worry about them going bad. You’ll probably devour them all at once (impossible to resist our nutritional, flavourful products). However, we would like to remind you that once the packaging is opened and placed in an airtight container, their shelf life can be up to 10 days. If you are looking for tasty recipe ideas based on our delicious sausages, visit the Recipes+ section of our website.
Powered by plants: nine vegan athletes
After adopting a vegan diet, several top athletes are proving that meat or dairy products are not necessary for optimal performance. These athletes are also shattering myths about veganism. A study from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine states that a vegan diet is rich in carbohydrates, fiber and several other nutrients. Vegan athletes benefit from everything they need to be able to continue breaking records across all disciplines!
Here are nine inspirational vegan athletes who are powered by plants.
Meagan Duhamel
After reading a book on veganism, this figure skating athlete converted to the lifestyle in 2008. Since then, she has won several prestigious titles, including gold at the ISU World Championships in both 2015 and 2016, as well as a gold and bronze medals at the Sochi Olympics in 2018. She says her diet helps her stay focused on the ice, allows her to have more energy and improve her performance.
Morgan Mitchell
Olympian running athlete Morgan Mitchell needs no introduction since her attention-getting performance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She reached 7th place in the 4 x 400-meter event. Mitchell adopted a vegan diet in 2014 to increase her energy levels. She also appeared in the famous documentary The Game Changers, in which she promotes a vegan style of eating.
Patrik Baboumian
Anyone who claims that you need to eat meat to build substantial muscle mass will realize they are wrong after meeting one of the strongest men on the planet! Vegan since 2011, he obtained two Guinness records in 2012 and two world records in 2013. He wrote a book in 2015 on his dietary transition. VRebellion-1: How to Become a Vegan Badass which highlights all the benefits that veganism has brought to his life.
Lewis Hamilton
Since 2017, this British racing driver swears by a plant-based diet. The athlete, who has been crowned F1 world champion numerous times and has many records in the sport, uses his image to promote the benefits of veganism. He even introduced his dog Roscoe to the vegan diet! Hamilton says it has greatly helped improve his pet’s health.
Scott Jurek
Vegan ultramarathoner Scott Jurek is a direct challenge to all preconceived notions and prejudices about veganism. This athlete, who is an icon in the running world, has won several titles; he holds the United States record in the 24 hour race. He ran 165.7 miles (266.7 kilometers) during that race which equates to 6.5 marathons. And all of this while being vegan! He credits veganism for his victories, stamina and ability to recover quickly after training.
Kendrick Farris
A vegan weightlifter? Why not? Since 2014, Kendrick Farris has been training very hard and eating only a plant-based diet. He has participated in the Olympic Games since 2008, consistently placing in the Top 12 in the world. He also holds the American record, lifting a weight of 377 kg in his division. To anyone who believes it’s impossible to get enough protein when you’re vegan, Kendrick simply replies that he’s living proof that it’s quite the opposite!
Georges Laraque
This great Quebec hockey player has been a member of a few teams in the National Hockey League since the start of his career, in 1997. Retired since 2010, he continues to play amateur sports. He changed his focus to a plant-based diet in 2009 and talks extensively in the media about his lifestyle change. He maintains that the change in diet created a positive effect on his overall health, in addition to increasing his energy and stamina.
Venus Williams
The famous tennis athlete went vegan after being diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease, in 2011. Following her drastic drop in the rankings, this change in diet has allowed her to rise back to the top. In addition to reducing the inflammation caused by her illness, the vegan diet gave her the strength and energy to continue her athletic career. Venus recently launched her own brand of vegan protein, Happy Viking.
Kyrie Irving
One of the National Basketball League’s star players, Kyrie Irving, has been a vegan since 2017. While playing for the Boston Celtics, he decided to change his diet. That year, he credited his team’s 13 consecutive wins to his new lifestyle. He insists that his vegan diet has helped him become a better athlete, providing him with more energy and greater ability to recover.
Athletes and celebrities like these, who are eager to promote the benefits of vegan food, show that the trend is growing more and more around the world. These athletes prove, once again, that eating plants can only be positive!
GUSTA products will help you harness all the energy you need to become a great athlete!
